Decorating a Kitchen With Toile

Toile can add a touch of elegance to your kitchen.

With its decidedly French flair, toile fabric can add a charming look to any room in your home. In a kitchen, though, the pastoral scenes that the fabric depicts can provide some elegance to the utilitarian space. However, to pull off the look, you must use toile in the right ways for your space or you may wind up with a busy, unflattering design.

Choose Color Carefully

While toile traditionally features a black pattern on a cream or white background, you can actually find the print in a variety of colors, so it's important to choose the right shade for your kitchen. If you already have a bold color such as red or yellow on your walls, traditional black and white toile is your best option. A navy and white combination is an attractive alternative if black seems too harsh in your kitchen. However, if your walls are a light, neutral shade, red toile is an ideal option for a kitchen. As a warm shade, it creates a cozy, inviting look for the space, and red is thought to stimulate the appetite so it's a natural choice for the kitchen. If you prefer a softer look, go with a toile in a light yellow, blue or green.

Keep It Subtle

In a small kitchen, the distinctive look of toile can easily overwhelm the space if you're not careful. The key is using it in a few spots to create a subtle, elegant look. Toile curtains or valances are ideal for a small kitchen because they add a punch of color and texture without making the room feel too busy. You can also use toile seat covers for your kitchen chairs or stools or a toile sink skirt to spice up the space. For an extremely subtle look, just add a few toile dish towels or pot holders to add dimension and visual interest to your kitchen.

Go Bold

If you're lucky enough to have a large kitchen, you can be bold with your use of toile. Instead of limiting its use to curtains or seat covers, incorporate toile wallpaper to really make a statement. You can use it on all of the walls for a truly bold look or cover a single wall with the paper to create an instant focal point in your kitchen. Toile wallpaper also works well on the inside of glass-front kitchen cabinets or behind open shelving to add color and pattern to the space.

Add French Country Accents

Since toile is so closely associated with French decor, incorporating other French country elements in your kitchen design can really help tie the look together. Start with stone countertops and natural wood flooring to give the room a charming rustic look. Give your wood cabinets a faux finish that provides an aged, distressed look to fit the weathered style associated with French country decor. Wrought iron elements also fit the look well, so consider adding a wrought iron pot rack over your sink or island. Decorative pottery is also big in French country kitchens, so create a display of your favorite pieces on shelves or in glass-front cabinets.

About the Author

Based in New York City, Jennifer Blair has been covering all things home and garden since 2001. Her writing has appeared on BobVila.com, World Lifestyle, and House Logic. Blair holds a Bachelor of Arts in Writing Seminars from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.